The sun., 1887-05-12
Lisgarvan Chimney.

% &E - m ~ #s
Twas when I was courting Katie
that the accidcntI / am going to tell YOU
of happened. Bnt for that same acci-
dent don't think Katie an would be
man an' wife this day for you see my
father was set again the match, Katie
being only a laborcr's daughter, while
he himself was foreman in the mills.
getting good wages, aud thought a
good deal of by his employers. An if
it wasn't for Katie don't think I'd be
here now to tell you about it, for twas
she that saved my life, through hitting
upon plan that never once came into
the heads of me or of my comrades
aye. or of those that you'd have thought
would know better than any. Of us. s
was not brought up to my fathers
trade. having been taken. when young.
by brother of my mothers master
bricklayer living in the town. When
my uncle died came to Lisgarvan for
a bit, just to see my father, and finding
that they were al work on the new
buildings at the mills. I looked for
employment there. an got it at once.
Lisgarvan mill is -four mill, and a
pretty place it was in those days. with
the river running just by the old red
brick buildings, an the big water
wheel always going round an round.
The river falls into larger one a little
down, an the tide comes up as far rs
the mill. so it's in boats that most of
the corn is brought in. an the flour
carried away. 'Tisn't half so pretty a
place now; there are big whitcwashei
buildings alongside of the old brick
ones. the big wheel is stopped, an you
hear the whirr of the engine instead Of
the sound of the water. But thcy make
a power of money there. an gives a
deal of employ ment.
As l was saying, L got taken on as a
bricklayer. Katie's father was work
ing there, too, an l used to see her
bringing him his dinner. and. after a
bit. began to think that I'd like to
have her bringing me NINE, too. She
was as pretty girl then as you'd see
anywhere--she's good-looking to this
day-an' soon became that fond of
her that I'd done anything Almost, to
get her. She herself was willing
enough; twas my father that made the
difficulty. He was proud man. as
proud in his way as any gentleman, an
he was right down mad ut the notion
of my marrying a laborer's daughter.
81 To be sure. Twas earning good wages.
might have married without asking
any ones leayeNif I'd been 50 minded,
but didn't like to go again the old
man that had always been good to me.
Besides. Katie was just al proud as
himself, an would have nothing to say
10 me unless he was satisfied. l got
she master to speak to him. but sure
'twasn't bit of use. '.How would
you like. SIR says he to the master,
'.if had daughter. to have Master
Philip take up with her, an wouldn't
hat be the same thing?" l believe
the master did not think it would be
all the. same thing; but my father
would not hear reason from him any
more than from me; so Katie an had
Just nothing for it but to wait in the
hope of his coming round, an very
little hope we had of that same.
As we were putting up a steam en-
yine in the mill, we had. of course. to
have big chimney. an we got man
down from town to build it-one oi
them chaps that builds chlmneys an
nothin' else, an thinks nobody knows
ANYTHING about it but themselves.
was working along with him, and. in
deed, twas that built the most of it,
an right good job, it was. Twas
finished by Christmas--ten years ago
This Christmas coming on-all but the
lightning conductor, and that was not
put up, owing to the masters wanting
% make inquiries when he'd go to Lon
Ion an see for himself what would be
he best kind to use. The master was
scientific sort. of a gentleman. an had
IDEAS of his own-sometimes they'd be
better than other peoples, sometimes
not 80 good. At any rate. there was
ieiay about the conductor, an in th'
meantime the engineers were at work,
an the big chimney was smoking away
like blazes. Mr. g Brown, the strange
workman, had gone away, saying very
,ondescending like that he was sur
Jim Forde Chat was me) would be able
TO fasten the rod to the chimney as wei
asi.e could do it himself He took III
his scaTolding with him. but before hs
went away he fixed a beam with pull
lev to it to the top of the CHI mney. an
left long rope hanging through it. 81
chat a man could be hoisted up at any
time; an there the rope hung dangling
week after week. until the master com
home, bringing the rod along wit
him. 7g
Once it had come there was no goo
losing any more time in fixing 1t up
one Saturday afternoon in January, u
went on a plank, slung securely 9
the end of rope, my tools along wit
me, an settled myself astride on th
stone coping. Twas rather late in tn
lay. but the morning had been too VIC
and stormy to work, an tho maste
was as impatient to, get the job done q
Il it hadn't been himself that was hind
.ring it all this time. was as much 8
home atop of the chimney as was 0
The ground. an I worked on witho,
Dnce looking down, until my job WI
finished an was putting up my tool
Then, all of a sudden, / heard a rattlin
ooise; an looking over, Il see the plan
going down fast. called out, "Hull
there! send that up again, will you ?
but the only answer l got was LOT
augh, for all the world like silly Jer1